Rawlings announced the finalists for the 2022 Gold Glove Awards on Thursday afternoon, and Christian Yelich and Corbin Burnes are National League nominees for the left field and pitcher positions, respectively.
Yelich’s nomination comes despite the fact that he is a below-average defensive outfielder. He previously won the award in 2014 but finished this season with -2 Defensive Runs Saved, -4 Outs Above Average and -0.9 Fielding Runs Above Average in left field.
Yelich also has one of the worst throwing arms in the game, finishing fifth-worst among qualified outfielders in average throw speed.
The former MVP’s selection as a finalist likely has more to do with his quantity of work and a limited pool of candidates.